This invention relates to the field of wireless communication, and, more particularly, to hands-free communication utilizing a mobile phone.
Using a conventional telephone inherently entails several operations, such as dialing a required number and holding a handset during conversation.
Placing a call via dialing a number may present a difficult task for small children who do not yet recognize numbers on the dialing keypad. Many aged and physically disabled people suffering from eye diseases also may not be able to dial a number by sight. Holding a handset close to the user""s ear can be either tiring during long phone conversation or awkward and even dangerous, for example, in the case of using a cellular phone while driving a car. Holding a handset while driving may adversely affect the ability of the user to safety operate the car.
Various techniques are known in the art, which partially may solve these problems. For example, the problem of dialing a number has been addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,217 to Kravitz that describes a cellular phone having a possibility to place a telephone call by pressing only one single button on the phone. The single button, when pressed by a user, dials the number of the service provider stored in a memory of the phone. Then, the service provider connects the one button cellular phone to a desired number communicated by the user. The service provider in the Kravitz""s patent can be either an automatic voice recognition device or a live operator.
While such one button cellular phone may solve the dialing problem, it does not handle the problem of holding a handset during the conversation. In addition, this phone has also another drawback that is pertinent to most of the conventional cellular phones and wireless communication devices. This drawback is associated with a potential danger to the user from electromagnetic microwave radiation related to transmission of signals from such apparatus. Thus, when using a hand-held cellular telephone, the user holds the phone close to his head, so the antenna, which usually extends from the top surface of the telephone, is in close proximity with the biological tissue of the user""s hand and head as it transmits electromagnetic radiation. It is believed in certain communities that the radiation absorbed by the head and hand may cause cancer or create other health risks or hazards to the user talking over such apparatus. In addition, the energy absorbed by the head and hand reduces the strength of the radiation signal emitted from the antenna for communication and decreases the usable life of the battery of the cellular telephone.
The problem of holding a handset during conversation has been addressed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,222 to Guenther that provides a headset for hand-free communication over cellular phone. The headset of the Guenther""s patent includes an acoustical earpiece, and a microphone mounted on the user""s head. The earpiece and microphone are coupled to the cellular phone via a wire and a flexible acoustical tube that limit the mobility of the user. This patent also does not solve the aforementioned dialing problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,825 to Hahn, et al. describes wireless headset systems allowing to talk over a phone while leaving the user""s hands free to perform some other tasks. The system includes a wireless headset with a boom microphone, which communicates with a base station to dial and send or receive calls via a cellular phone.
Another system for hand-free communication over cellular phone is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,207 to Puthuff et al. Instead of a highly visible and cumbersome headset, the Puthuff""s patent describes a compact earpiece assembly that can wirelessly communicate with an external device such as a personal communication node (that is a functional analog to of the Hahn""s patent base station) or a cellular phone. Such earpiece is more cosmetically attractive, lightweight and comfortable to wear then the headset of the Hahn""s patent. A voice recognition circuit may be included in the personal communication node for recognizing voice commands of the user for directing the cellular phone to perform certain functions, for example, to dial a phone number. After matching the voice command to a particular control function stored in the memory of the personal communication node, the voice recognition circuit can issue an appropriate code to control one or more remote devices.
While the dialing problem, in principle, may be solved by utilizing the techniques described in the Puthuff""s patent, a main deficiency of this system is a limited number of commands that a cellular phone controlled by the voice recognition circuit may perform. Since these commands are stored in a memory chip of the personal communication node then the number of such commands is limited by volume of this chip. For example, if such command is an instruction to make a telephone call to a certain number pre-stored on the memory chip, then the amount of the pre-stored telephone numbers or names is limited by the volume of the chip""s memory.
The above and other deficiencies of the prior art phone and headset systems are overcome by the present invention that provides a compact interface device for use with a communication apparatus, e. g. a cellular phone, that enables a user to make a telephone call through a voice command to any other communication apparatus. Such communication apparatus of the receiving party may be, for example, any other telephone, a cellular phone, a PC, a PDA, etc.
The interface device of the present invention has many of the advantages of the techniques mentioned heretofore, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
The interface device to a cellular phone according to the present invention may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
The interface device to a cellular phone according to the present invention is of a durable and reliable construction.
The interface device to a cellular phone according to the present invention may have low manufacturing cost.
According to one broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interface device for use with a communication apparatus coupled to a communication system for enabling a user to make a telephone call through a voice command to a selected party from among a plurality of receiving parties that are coupled to said communication system, said interface device comprising:
(a) an adapter comprising a controller circuit triggered by at least one switch in order to send commands to communication apparatus for at least (i) dialing a predetermined number associated with a remote service provider for establishing a connection between the communication apparatus and the provider; said remote service provider is capable of establishing a telephone connection to said selected party from among said plurality of receiving parties in response to said user voice command, and (ii) terminating the connection;
(b) at least one switch being electrically coupled to the adapter;
(c) a speaker electrically coupled to the adapter for reproducing incoming signals of the phone call; and
(d) a microphone electrically coupled to the adapter for receiving audio signals generated by the user.
According to another broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a telephone call through a voice command by using an interface device for a communication apparatus that is coupled to a communication system, the telephone call being to a selected party from among a plurality of receiving parties that are coupled to said communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) triggering a sending of a command to a communication apparatus for dialing a predetermined number associated with a remote service provider for establishing a connection between the communication apparatus and the provider, said triggering is accomplished by means of at least one switch that is fitted to the interface device;
(b) said remote service provider establishing a telephone connection to the selected party from among said plurality of receiving parties in response to said user voice command; and
(c) triggering a sending of a command to a communication apparatus for terminating the connection, said triggering is accomplished by means of at least one switch that is fitted to the interface device.